Burial vault



Patented May 6, 1941 UNlTEosrTEs PATENT OFFICE BURIAL VAULT Harold F. Kuettner, Dundee, Ill. Application september e, 1939, serial No. 293,588

1 Claim.

This invention relates Vto a burial vault produced conveniently from concrete or other suitable plastic material which is adapted to be cast in appropriate molds; and more particularly the present improvements relate to the interfitting walls of the box body and the cover by which a perfect fit and seal therebetween may be assured.

It is an object of my invention to provide in a burial vault of the kind described a rugged and dependable construction along the intertting walls of the box body and cover, so that an effective seal may be made therebetween even though there be defects resulting from imperfect castings or other causes; and a construction in which a predetermined uniform quantity of sealing material may be applied to the edges of one of the interfitting walls whereby to facilitate the final closing and sealing of the vault which usually is performed at the grave.

These and other objects of my invention are `set forth in the ensuing description wherein reference is made to a preferred construction as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein.

Figure 1 is a transverse perspective view through a burial vault whose cover is slightly raised above the box body on which it is adapted to rest;

Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective View showing an enlarged detail of the joint which is formed at the interlitting walls of the box body and cover; and

Fig, 3 is a detail in transverse section showing the marginal edge of the cover wall which is adapted for sealing with the complementary upper edge of the box body wall.

The burial vault herein illustrated comprises a box body B which is open at the top. The body walls 5 extend upwardly to terminate in a common plane providing a rim which is defined by a Wide flange a formed as a continuation of the inner face of the walls. This flange, by preference, is rounded outwardly, i. e., con- Vexly, at 6, the base I of the flange lying at a substantially medial point between the inner and outer faces of the body walls. A plurality of notches B formed in the outer rim portion of the walls 5 are formed wtih outwardly and downwardly sloping bottoms which extend from the base of the flange to the outer face of the walls terminating thereupon at points substantially below the tops of the intervening truncated supporting shoulders 9, the function of which will appear presently. This arrangement of alternating notches and shoulders is desirably extended around the entire upper edge of the body walls, as is also the upwardly extending ange whose inner face is flush with the corresponding face of the Vault. The bottoms of the notches 8 in effect produce an outwardly and downwardly sloping outer rim surface, the continuity of which is interrupted by the supporting shoulders 9.

A cover C, desirably arched transversely, is adapted to be tted over the vault body to provide a closure therefor. At its opposite sides and ends this cover is provided with marginal walls IIJ which depend to terminate in a common plane which is dened by a wide flange b formed as a continuation of the outer face of the walls. The cover walls are slightly thicker than the body Walls, the outer faces being adapted to lie in substantially flush relation therewith, the inner face of the cover walls being disposed in a plane to the inside of the inner face of the vault for a reason which will presently appear. The cover ilange b which is complementary to the body flange a is rounded inwardly, i. e., concavely, at II, between its base I2 which lies along the lower face of the cover walls in a plane that is substantially medially between the inner and outer faces of the body walls and a point I3 which is situated about opposite the inner face of the body walls where a lip I4 is downwardly extended from the cover walls to lie just to the inside of the walls of the box body. The inside edge I5 of this lip in conjunction with the edge I2 at the base of the flange forms a pair of spaced screed lines extended continuously around the under face of the cover walls. A stick I6 (see Fig. 3) when extended transversely across these two screed lines may be moved lengthwise therealong so as to spread evenly within the concavity of the depending ange b a quantity of cementitious adhesive material I7 which is to be used in producing a seal between the cover and the box body of the vault. This adhesive material is plastic in nature, and when spread within the space intended for its reception will oxidize on its exposed surface suiciently to provide a seal which protects the remainder of the plastic material and maintains it in a semi-fluid tacky condition.

When the cover is `finally fitted to the box body, the outer cover ange b will descend over and alongside the inner body flange a until engagement is made with the tops of the supporting shoulders 9 at which point a position of rest is reached. In advancing to this position, the cementitious material within the concave space on the under side of the cover will be displaced from the form shown in Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 2 where it will be noted the adhesive has been forced both ways so as to be pressed out to a substantially even thickness, some of the material being expressed over the top of the inner body flange and some of it being expressed out below the base of the outer cover flange. In this way the material is evenly and uniformly distributed so as to assure a complete and perfect seal when the Vcover is applied in place. The lip which serves as one of the two screed lines is largely responsible for the accurate spreading of a uniform quantity of the cementitious material by which a subsequent dependable seal is facilitated in the manner already explained. Because of the fact that the upper surface of the flange a as well as the bottoms of the notches 8 extend downwardly and outwardly, particles of foreign matter such as pebbles and the like will nd no repose beneath the rim of the cover walls. By reason of the rugged heavy character of the two intertting flanges, one one the body and the other on the cover, the seal to be made therebetween Will be effective even though the walls of the vault and cover therefor be imperfectly cast, as occasionally happens, since these flanges and the supporting shoulders contain a sufficient quantity of concrete (or other plastic material that may be used) to usually remain unimpaired and serviceable for use.

I claim:

In a burial vault, the combination of a box body having enclosing walls open at the top to provide a continuous rim and formed along the upper rim surface with an outwardlyland upwardly presented curved sealing surface of a width substantially equal to one-half the width of the wall and occupying a position at the inner portion of said rim, the remaining outer portion of said rim being inclined downwardly and outwardly, a cover for the box provided with depending marginal walls providing a continuous rim having a curved sealing surface occupying a position at the inner side of said latter rim and adapted to cooperate with the first-mentioned sealing surface in substantially coextensive sealing engagement therewith when the cover is in position on the box body, a sealing lip depending from the cover rim at the extreme inner edge thereof and adapted to project below the uppermost level of the box body rim on the inside thereof, and a plurality of. spaced supporting means on the body walls at the outer portion of said rim upon which the under face of the cover flange may rest when the cover is in final position upon the box body, said supporting means extending transversely of the body walls for substantially one-half the thickness thereof, the sealing lip and one edge of said latter sealing surface providing screed lines whereby a sealing compound placed on said latter sealing surface may be evenly leveled.

HAROLD F. KUE'I'I'NER. 

